Once Upon A Time SEASON 3 EPISODE 18 FULL LENGTH REACTION
Added 2025-06-28 12:00:11 +0000 UTCTime to check out ONCE UPON A TIME Season 3 Episode 18! (Last week episode S3E17 just got unlocked to regular ALL FULL LENGTH TIER!)
Regina casts a spell in hope of finding out why Zelena was abandoned; Belle discovers what Zelena's ultimate goal is.
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Comments
I love this episode because it marks a turning point in Snow and Regina's relationship, with Snow coming to terms with the fact that her mother wasn't always a saint.
Adam Armstrong
2025-06-29 18:39:51 +0000 UTCBleeding Through- Thank you so much for another fun reaction for Once Upon a Time, Timothee! I certainly enjoy this episode. However, this episode in my opinion... I think it is definitely one of the weaker episodes within this season. At least because of this episode's backstory because it's centered around young Cora. And I only say this, because I'm not really much of a fan of Cora. Young or old. Which I've mentioned a number of times now. I'm especially not a fan of young Cora. Rose McGowan plays young Cora really well, and the casting of young Cora matches older Cora perfectly! However, I have never really liked Rose McGowan much as an actress in anything. And young Cora is horrible in the past, just like she is in the present day (in season two and onward) too. Young Cora is much worse, in my opinion. Cora is a great villainess because she's so vile, and because both Rose McGowan and Barbara Hershey plays her so well. But Cora is not a villain I love, or love to hate, like I love and love to hate the Evil Queen, Rumple, Captain Hook, Pan, and now Zelena too. I just pretty much hate her because she is so cruel, even to her own daughters and her husband, Prince Henry. However, with all of this being said... I do love the overall present day storyline focused around Regina and Mary Margaret. And I deeply love the results that come from the major present storyline and backstory throughout this episode. Meaning, the absolutely beautiful moments between Regina and Mary Margaret, and between Regina and Robin Hood. Which I will come back to shortly... I definitely love the overall Storybrooke storyline far more than I like the backstory for this episode. However, it all makes sense as to why Zelena has turned out to be who she is, and why Cora is as she is too. Their actions are inexcusable and wrong in so many ways, but I understand them both better now because of the events within this episode's backstory. So, this episode is really good for these reasons. Now... I do slightly feel sorry for young Cora after watching this episode, because it was absolutely vile of Jonathan to trick her so cruelly. But in my strong opinion... Mary Margaret is very wrong regarding why Cora gives Zelena up when she was born. Cora wasn't forced to give up Zelena. Cora willingly chose to give her oldest daughter away, because Cora was selfish and wanted a better life for herself, not for her child. She stated... "I have to give you up so that I can have my best chance." Or something like that. If she really loved Zelena at all, she would have wanted her to have her best chance, just like Emma wants for Henry, and like Snow and David wants for Emma. It would have been a hard life for a miller's daughter... a very poor woman, to raise a child all on her own. But if she truly loved her child, she could have done it. Poor people even back in those days had children all the time. Just like everyone in any time has. Cora is greedy and selfish through and through. Even before she ripped out her own heart so she wouldn't risk love getting in the way of what she wanted. She only ever cared about herself. She's always chosen her own self and power over Regina too. So, in all honesty... I really can't feel too bad for Cora. In this circumstance... Zelena is truly the innocent, and I feel far more badly for her. Especially because she was an adorable and innocent baby. Also... I really, really hate that the writers of this episode, wrote for our characters to put so much blame on Princess Eva and Prince Leopold for Cora's decision to give Zelena up. Because this is not true at all. Cora was one hundred percent selfish and chose to give Zelena up so she could have a better life for herself. Eva and Leopold didn't demand that Cora give up the baby. They weren't present for Zelena's birth, and therefore, they had no say it what came of Zelena. They didn't even really know for certain that Cora was even pregnant, because Cora lied to them about being so. So, for Snow, David, Emma, Hook, and Regina to be written to say that it was because of Eva that Zelena was given up by Cora... Or for Snow to say that she's sad to learn that her mother was not as good a woman that she believed her to be, at least because of this episode's backstory about her mother... Absolutely ridiculous! I've noticed that the writers have written in a few details throughout this show that don't make any real sense, and that just makes me mad to hear when the characters are written to make these points. It's just like Henry's argument as to why magic is so bad, back in season two's episode, titled... Welcome to Storybrooke, when he attempted to blow up all magic using dynamite. Regarding Zelena having powerful magic such as she does, and her having power even as a baby... Cora does have magic, and has had magic all along. It just wasn't until she meets Rumplestiltskin that she was able to use and really harness her power. And she doesn't meet him until shortly before Regina is born, a short time after the events we see within the backstory of this episode. So, Zelena would have gained her power from her mother, just like Regina has. Why is Zelena even more powerful than Regina? Maybe it's because she is so desperate for the love she never got from her mother or anyone. Maybe it's simply because her rage and jealousy fuels her, and her emotions are more of a motive for her to be the most powerful being. I don't really know. There is also the possibility that magic is simply given to the beings that the universe, fate, or destiny deems worthy of having such power, and this may be why Zelena has magic. In the Harry Potter movies, it's known that a number of the witches and wizards in that world have magic, even when one, or even both of their parents don't. Maybe this is the case here. I don't really know, and it's never deeply explained here in Once Upon a Time. So, these are just a few reasons I can think of. Next... Of course, Princess Eva (Snow's mother) was absolutely wrong to act as she did too. I think she told Prince Leopold (Snow's father) about Cora being pregnant and her plan to steal treasure from him to give to Jonathan, for her own gain. Not out of any desire to protect Prince Leopold. I think she certainly felt badly for him that Cora was using him. But Eva was a spoiled, selfish brat when she was young. However, as we see in season two's episode, titled... The Queen is Dead, she clearly turns her life around at some point before Snow is born, upon learning from her own mistakes too. And she became a wonderful, selfless woman and Queen to her people she loved very much. And she raised her daughter Snow White beautifully up until the day she died. Regarding as to why Princess Eva would be there in the Kingdom visiting Prince Leopold at this time... I suspect that maybe it's because his wedding to Cora is just two days away like Cora mentions at one point in this episode, and it's likely that Leopold and his parents, the King and Queen of their kingdom, would have invited all the other Royals throughout the kingdom to come for the wedding and celebration. Eva would have been invited for the wedding along with her parents too. Now... Zelena has chosen to allow her hate and jealousy to consume her, so I can only feel bad for her to a small degree too. However, I really love Zelena in her interaction with Regina in the beginning of this episode. I love her snarkiness, and these two actresses that I love, play off one another so well!! Brilliant!! Zelena isn't quite as good with Rumple in their scenes together. Although, she is certainly eerie and dark. I really hate the moment when Rumple begins to make love with her, even if it was so he could try to steal the dagger. Any relationship with him and Zelena is just wrong. And disgusting. Because we know from back in season two's episode, titled... The Miller's Daughter, he had a relationship with Cora too. Both of their relationships just weird me out. However, with all this being said... I like Regina's plan to talk with Cora to try to learn about why Cora had given Zelena up. I love the moment young Cora in ghost form attacks Mary Margaret and that Regina fights her mother to protect Mary Margaret. I think the reasoning behind the creators using young Cora as the ghost, instead of the older Cora played by Barbara Hershey, is more because Regina was summoning her mother to find out why Cora had given Zelena away. And because it was Cora in her younger years when she did so, maybe the creators and writers felt that seeing young Cora in her younger years would parallel to her backstory throughout this episode better. Maybe Barbara Hershey couldn't come back for this episode, but I don't know. As for the moments I love most within this episode... I especially love the talk between Regina and Mary Margaret in the end once all was well again, just as I love all of their scenes throughout this episode together. The ending is a beautiful moment between these two and it shows how far their friendship, as well as the relationship between stepmother and stepdaughter has come. This is definitely a moment we as fans of this beautiful show have been waiting for. And it's easily my favorite moment within this episode too. I especially love how Mary Margaret assures Regina that she is still capable of feeling love even without her heart in her chest, because Regina loves so deeply and with her whole soul. And Regina absolutely does. So beautiful! :) And in regards to Regina being able to feel emotion in spite of having no heart in her chest... Why can Regina still feel, when Cora immediately couldn't? I can help answer this question for you, because this episode shows beautifully just why. Personally, I really love how this episode shows just how different Regina is from Cora. First... I feel like perhaps it's a matter of time that causes someone to become emotionless like Cora had become. Perhaps, the longer the heart remains outside of a person's body, their emotions will eventually fade away all together. Although... Cora appears to become heartless straightaway. And second, and most of all... I also feel that maybe it is a matter of will. Because Regina wants to continue to feel, and she is able to do so. And she is very strong willed. It's like Mary Margaret says... Regina loves with her whole soul. Whereas Cora rips out her own heart because she didn't want to feel any emotion any longer, so she would be able to get everything she ever wanted and not feel any weaknesses. I hope my answers help you to be able to understand a little better, Tim. I also really love the entire séance scene between Regina, David, Mary Margaret, Emma, and Hook too. I like the idea that to summon Cora's spirit, Regina needs the candle used to kill her mother, as well as her mother's killer... Mary Margaret. However, I love how Regina has finally forgiven her. As for another of my favorite moments... I absolutely love, love, love the moments with Hook and Emma! As small as they may be within this episode. Hook is definitely feeling guilty over the trouble he's in with Zelena. He's angry, and he is struggling to keep from lashing out, especially at Emma. Because he's trying to protect her, and wants her to distance herself from him, but doesn't want to leave her side at the same time. However, he's still very good with Emma nonetheless and wants to protect her. Which you can see while they're still at Regina's just as they're about to leave, as Hook starts to lay his hand over the small of Emma's back to help escort her out, until he almost immediately pulls back to stop himself from even touching her. He is keeping her at a distance because he needs to protect her. These little moments most people fail to notice when watching these episodes because they're so small, and to some people they may be unnecessary, yet for me, they're quite amazing. And they show that these actors truly do care about giving us their best acting in order to share all there is know about their characters. Absolutely wonderful!!! And their moment together at Granny's Diner before Belle charges in and interrupts them is cute, sweet, sad, and funny. The moment with Emma transporting a cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon over to Hook... "Boom! Granny's to go!" I love it!! If only Belle hadn't have interrupted them. I suspect that Hook would have confessed to Emma then if Emma would have had the chance to help him be able to do so. And another of my absolute favorite moments, is when Regina comes to Robin in forest at the end, to kiss him at last upon hearing and listening to Mary Margaret's beautiful advice. At last, they are together!! And they are definitely another of my favorite True Love couples throughout this show!! I feel so badly for Robin when Rumple threatens to kill his son, and of course it's understandable that he gives up Regina's heart to save him. And I'm so grateful that Regina understands this and doesn't get angry with him. Of course, she's understanding, because she knows she would do anything for Henry too, like Robin would do anything to protect his son. And I love that Regina assures Robin that she does understand his sacrifice. So beautiful. That is True Love right there. I also feel badly for Rumple in this moment, because we can see that he doesn't want to hurt a child. Zelena is controlling him, and she is forcing him to act against his will. And she's probably commanded him to do whatever he must do, in order to get him to get her whatever she wants and needs. And lastly... Like I mentioned before, I love that the ingredients for the time travel spell are courage, a resilient heart, a brain, and innocence, which is a nod to The Wizard of Oz, as they are the four things that represent Dorothy (her innocence), the Scarecrow (his brain), the Tin Man (his heart), and the Cowardly Lion (his courage). And Zelena's ingredients... For innocence, she's planning to steal away Mary Margaret's and David's baby born of True Love. For courage, she's taken the hilt of David's sword. For a heart, she's now taken Regina's most resilient heart. And for the brains, she plans to take a symbol of Rumple's brain. Absolutely brilliant! Thank you again, Timothee! Sincerely, Heidi
Heidi Elizabeth Marcum
2025-06-28 12:07:40 +0000 UTC
